The View From Kalamazoo

Earth, peeking over the horizon, as seen from the surface of Mars.

Wow

When Zero Tolerance equals Zero Common Sense. Boy gets expelled for bringing scissors…to sewing class. Some days homeschooling looks better and better…

As a Salt Lake mother‘s unborn twins got closer to birth, doctors repeatedly told her they would likely die if she did not have a C-section. She refused, and one later was stillborn. I just don’t know what to say about this one…

Dread: Indiana faked me out. I came home and saw the corner of a 9 X 12 envelope sticking out of the box with Indiana U’s return address. I was excited for the few seconds it took for me to pull it out and realize it held one lonely sheet of paper. 200 applications for 25 spots. I’m 0 for 4. It’s getting depressing – my GRE scores are respectable; my CV lists regular conference participation, mostly giving papers; I’m published in a juried ejournal (albeit pretty darn small); I have even coordinated THE academic conference for medievalists for several years now…So do I have three eyes and a curse on my head, or what? 3 to go – but I can’t say that I’m looking ahead with anticipation. I feel like a mylar balloon someone left in the corner…barely hovering above the floor and far from fully inflated.

John McGeoch, guitarist of Siouxsie and the Banshees, PiL died this week.

Dave Blood, bassist of the Dead Milkmen killed himself this week.

Granted I was more upset when I learned of DeeDee Ramone’s passing, but these were talented people, and these bands were near and dear to my heart in my youth (so, like The Ramones, I feel a certain angsty attachment, even now…when as Someone’s Mother I rarely have time to listen to much more than whining and NPR – and that’s just at work!)

Of course, I’m waiting for the other (third) shoe to drop now…